Protecting an International Shipping Port is Adrien Maharaj’s Day Job

The one thing that drives Adrien Maharaj is the fear of never growing. The security site supervisor and now operations coordinator for Securiguard is always pushing the envelope, and always seeking to develop himself, which ultimately has led him to where he is today—a leader among his peers.

There’s a Mohammed Ali quote that Adrien lives by, and his journey with Securiguard is evident of that life mantra:
“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20, has wasted 30 years of his life.” – Mohammed Ali

Adrien began at Securiguard six years ago, and in that time has transitioned across three different roles, each of which he actively sought out for himself. He is now in the middle of a new period of transition from site supervisor at a port in North Vancouver to operations coordinator for multiple ports in British Columbia. Through his drive to continually grow himself, he has realized his desire for more responsibility, leading bigger teams at bigger sites, and Securiguard has been able to provide that for him.

From working solo to managing a team of 12, to now overseeing multiple ports across the province, Adrien attributes two things to his growth; being hungry for it and being the best you could be. He believes there’s no such thing as a natural leader. Instead, it’s a skill that’s taught.

“Having a teachable spirit has been huge … You’ve got to be willing to seek perspective from other people. You’re never going to be the brightest or the smartest or the fastest or the better looking, whatever it may be. I think having a teachable spirit, where you’re willing to get input from other people, regardless of whether they’re higher or lower than you—none of that matters.”

Leading a team of people from different walks of life, experiences and ages has presented its challenges for Adrien. But he managed to earn respect from his peers, validating their long-term experience by seeking advice from them, as well as learning to lead by example.

“It’s very easy to ask people to do something, but if you’re not doing it yourself, then you can’t really expect them to do it. You also don’t really have their respect.”

Adrien has done everything from working high-profile events, loss prevention, and being a shift supervisor at the downtown library. He is now stationed at a port site in Vancouver which deals with ships transporting concentrate minerals, sulfur agricultural products and diesel fuel. It’s a prime example of all the places the security industry can take you.

What Adrien ultimately loves is being the first person people call when they’re having trouble.

“Being that person if somebody feels like they can’t deal with a situation, then they call you, and for you to come in and be able to deal with it successfully; making sure everybody’s safe, and maybe they’re not happy, but making sure everybody’s safe, I think is pretty rewarding.”

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